SayNOtoSandleford accuse landowner of hypocrisy

THE SayNOtoSandleford campaign group has criticised one of Sandleford Park’s landowners after she opposed a similar housing development in her homeland of Ireland.
Sandleford is one of West Berkshire Council’s strategic sites for development included in the recently approved core strategy for new housing in the district.
Up to 2,000 homes are proposed to be built on the site owned by various people, including Delia Norgate, widow of the founder of Trencherwood Homes’ plans, John Norgate, Cirencester man Nicholas Laing, Noel Gibbs from Cheltenham, Lady Ana Wyndham-Quin from County Limerick in Ireland, and an Irish company called Faria Limited.
The SayNOtoSandleford campaign group has this week hit out at Lady Wyndham-Quin for opposing a similar housing project in her homeland of Ireland.
The development was for 287 houses in the grounds of Lady Wyndham-Quin’s former family home Adare Manor, Limerick, which was approved in 2006.
She wrote two letters to Limerick County Council opposing the development - expressing her surprise that the two of the five landowners of the site lived overseas.
SayNOtoSandleford member, Peter Norman said this week: “There is a certain irony that one of the principles and main beneficiaries behind the promotion of Sandleford as a site for development should have fought tooth and nail to prevent a much smaller development ....using much the same arguments that we are now using to oppose 2,000 homes south of Monks Lane.
“Back then she complained about outside interests promoting the scheme, the implication being they did not have the long-term interests of the community at heart, but were just interested in making a fast buck. The same accusation is now levelled at her, and one has to ask her, “What do you think you are doing here?'
“Given Lady Ana's purported interest in preserving greenfield sites we can but hope that she will lean on her co-consortium members and prevail in getting them to re-consider this madcap scheme in the interests of Newbury's residents."
The Newbury Weekly News approached Lady Wyndham-Quin for comment via WYG Planning and Design, the company which produced the outline plans for the development of Sandleford.
Stuart Goodwill, a spokesman for the company which initially said it would be happy to field questions for Lady Wyndham-Quin, said yesterday (Wednesday): “With regards to the personal details of the individual landowners or other such issues which are unrelated to Sandleford Park, it would be inappropriate for us to comment.”
He added: “Sandleford Park has been owned and farmed by the present owners for more than 30 years.
“WYG were instructed to promote Sandleford Park through the different consultation events as West Berkshire Council undertook the initial processes which informed the formulation of its Core Strategy. Sandleford Park has subsequently been identified by West Berkshire Council as suitable for the delivery of part of its strategic housing requirement in the Core Strategy.”
The core strategy now awaits approval from the Government-appointed planning inspector in Bristol, Simon Emerson.